You’re a parent-to-be and are considering hiring a newborn photographer. You want professional photos of your baby once he or she arrives because you have seen how beautiful these images can be.

But what are the criteria on which you should choose a newborn photographer?

After all, you only need to Google “newborn photographer” to realise that there are many out there. So how should you decide which newborn photographer to hire?

On reputation?

On price?

Or on something else entirely?

Choosing a newborn photographer

Believe me, this is not a decision that you should take lightly. You’ll want to choose a newborn photographer that is the perfect fit for you and your family.

Each photographer offers something different to the next, and there are many factors to consider. So, in today’s blog I’m sharing my top tips to help you choose a newborn photographer:

1: Ask for recommendations

It’s definitely worthwhile asking any new parents you know for their recommendations. Whether that’s friends or family, or even parents that you have met at your NCT or antenatal classes. Simply ask if they used a newborn photographer and, if so, who and would they recommend them?

You could also join Facebook groups for parents in your local area, and ask for recommendations in there. Most parents are more than happy to tell others which newborn photographer they used and are proud of the photos that they have had taken. Also ask for them to share examples of the portraits they had taken of their babies, as this will give you an idea of the end result.

Also look online for reviews – on Google+ and on their Facebook pages. These will give you an insight into how well they are regarded by previous customers.

2: Ensure that you love the style of their portraits

All photographers offer something different, so it’s important to choose a newborn photographer whose work you not only like, but love.

Have a good look at their gallery or portfolio on their website. If you find that you adore almost all of the images on there and would like that style of photo for yourself, then you have found a good match.

Do they use colours that you like? I use neutrals and dusky pinks, greys and beiges most often in my newborn portraits – are those the colours you like?

Do you like the props they use? Most newborn photographers use tiny headbands, hats and outfits?

Do you like how they have positioned the baby in the photo?

Would you be happy if the photographer produced that photo featuring your baby?

And do you love their work enough to want to hang it on your walls at home?

If you’ve answered yes when reviewing a potential newborn photographer’s gallery, it’s a safe bet that you will love the images they could produce for you.

3: Consider your available budget for newborn photography

Newborn photography is now a popular way of celebrating the arrival of a new baby into the family. But, just because it is popular, that doesn’t mean it is cheap.

In fact, newborn photography is still relatively expensive. After all, it is a highly specialised service. Photographers will have gone through lots of expensive training and will also have costly equipment and business costs to cover. The price of newborn photography naturally reflects that.

So it’s important to do your research about the prices newborn photographers charge. You need to know that you can afford at least their most basic package BEFORE you book.

As with everything, there are some photographers who are more expensive than others so it’s important to shop around and find one that matches your budget.

While I wouldn’t recommend that you base your decision solely on price, do review the pricing of the photographers you are considering. It’s usually somewhere on their website – or request a price list if you can’t see it online.

If a price seems too good to be true though, there is usually a catch! I strongly recommend that you beware of cut-price newborn photographers! Low prices could reflect the fact that the photographer is inexperienced, and the last thing you want is an amateur to be handling your precious newborn baby. Use a professional and experienced newborn photographer or you may regret it later!

4: Check what products they offer as part of their packages

Continuing on from the last point, make sure you check two further things.

What products they offer as part of their packages. What’s included and what isn’t?

And what specification of products will you be able to buy after your photoshoot?

All photographers price their services differently so it’s important to understand what is included in the packages of the photographer you choose. This helps to avoid any surprises later.

Photo Packages

It’s worth pointing out that most photographers charge an initial session fee – anything from £50-150 usually. This covers their time for the photoshoot, but nothing else. No photos – whether digital files or printed photos or albums – are usually included in this price. Presuming you want to buy the photos afterwards, there will be product packages for you to choose from which are charged in addition to the ‘session’ or ‘booking’ fee.

So having a firm idea of the maximum budget you have available will allow you to decide what photo prints or albums you can afford once you have done the photoshoot.

Product Quality

And, it’s also important to check that you are happy with the range and quality of the photo products that are available. By that, I mean the albums, frames and wall art.

I know that my clients want to hang their baby photos on the walls at home and that they want something high quality and far superior to what they can find on the high street. They don’t want a cheap looking frame, or something that reflects the light or will fade over time. And they want something different – a real WOW piece.

So I offer aluminium wall art, and this is my best selling product.

What products do the newborn photographers you are considering offer? Would you like these in your home?

5: What level of customer service can you expect?

Finally, the level of customer service can vary from one photographer to the next. Every aspect of the process is a chance for your newborn photographer to differentiate themselves from the competition, and to offer an exceptional level of service.

Will your newborn photographer rise to that challenge? Will they take care of everything from the moment you make that first enquiry until the day your photo artwork is complete, making you feel like a V.I.P.? Or is their service more basic?

Will they keep in touch with you as baby’s due date approaches?

Will they provide tips on how to prepare for your newborn photoshoot or tell you what to expect in advance?

Will they allow you to customise the photoshoot or not?

Do they offer extras when you are at the photography studio like free refreshments or nappies, wipes and milk?

Do they take care of all the ordering of the photos and photo products?

Will they deliver your completed artwork or will you need to collect it from the studio?

You’ll get an idea of what level of service is on offer from looking at their websites and reading reviews from previous customers. You don’t need to go for a V.I.P. experience, but you’ll certainly want to choose a newborn photographer who offers excellent customer service.

How to choose a newborn photographer

Choosing a newborn photographer is not as straight forward as you might first imagine! So I hope that these tips are useful to you as you start the process yourself.